Tag Archives: The Hare Krishna Movement

Vyasa-Puja: The Most Blessed Event

Posted on by under A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Vyasa-Puja, Vyasasan das, Vyasasana das

\Today is the Apperancee Day of Our Beloved Spiritual Master, His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. The Founder-Acarya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness. We offer our profound gratitude and respectful obeisances. All Glories to Srila Prabhupada!

Vyasa-Puja: The Most Blessed Event

Dear Srila Prabhupada

So today, on this Most Blessed day, Your Appearance day celebration, Please accept my humble obeisances again and again, and kindly forgive my offenses.

On this auspicious day I have come with this offering just to worship you. On this day, and every day, I am filled with a sense of gratitude and wonder. I cannot even imagine where my life would be today, if you had not appeared and blessed us all with your divine mercy.

The fact that you have always resided in my heart, and have been my most constant friend and ever well-wisher, even without your physical presence, proves our eternal relationship with you. So many friends and family have come and gone, but you Srila Prabhupada, have remained in my life as the one constant in my life, I could always turn to.

You are present in your vani; your books and instructions. You are present still in your pictures and murti’s. You live in the hearts of your sincere devotees. You have touched us all so deeply; we cannot help but remember you. Srila Prabhupa, I am most unworthy to have received your mercy, and because of knowing my insignificance, it has caused me to be even more grateful and appreciative of your blessings.
 
 
“Indeed, I am just like a dwarf who wants to capture the moon. Although I am completely unfit, a desire to receive Your mercy is awakening within my mind.”

In writing this homage, I am reminded of a dream I had recently. In my dream you were reclining on your right side, propped up on your elbow and I was kneeling down in front of you. I said “Srila Prabhupada, my Krsna Consciousness is still very child-like”. Your face lit up and your Lotus eyes became very large.“Oh!” You said. “Sometimes when I see your picture, I began to cry” I replied. You leaned forward and very gravely but kindly said, “Yes, it is alright to have love and affection for your Spiritual Master”. I awoke from the dream and offered my obeisances thinking of your extraordinary magnanimity and kindness and your ability to ease our suffering and allow us to love you even more.

So on this Most Blessed day, Your Appearance day celebration, Please accept my humble obeisance again and again, kindly forgive my offenses, and continue to guide me as my captain with your books as maps, to steer me through the rough waters of this dangerous age of Kali

Begging to remain your eternal servant
Vyasasan das

His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda

Posted on by under A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Vyasa-Puja

So today we are celebrating Vyasa-puja or the appearance day of our beloved spiritual master Srila Prabhupada. I thought it would be nice to just include a brief biography.

His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda

His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda appeared in this world in 1896 in Calcutta, India. He first met his spiritual master, Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Gosvāmī, in Calcutta in 1922. Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī, a prominent religious scholar and the founder of sixty-four Gauḍīya Maṭhas (Vedic institutes), liked this educated young man and convinced him to dedicate his life to teaching Vedic knowledge. Śrīla Prabhupāda became his student, and eleven years later (1933) at Allahabad he became his formally initiated disciple.

At their first meeting, in 1922, Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura requested Śrīla Prabhupāda to broadcast Vedic knowledge through the English language. In the years that followed, Śrīla Prabhupāda wrote a commentary on the Bhagavad-gītā, assisted the Gauḍīya Maṭha in its work and, in 1944, without assistance, started an English fortnightly magazine, edited it, typed the manuscripts and checked the galley proofs. He even distributed the individual copies and struggled to maintain the publication. Once begun, the magazine never stopped; it is now being continued by his disciples in the West and is published in nineteen languages.

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One Can Keep Direct Company With the Spiritual Master/Book Changes

Posted on by under A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Book Changes, Books by Srila Prabhupada, Locanananda das, Locananda das, Vyasasan das, Vyasasana das

One Can Keep Direct Company With the Spiritual Master
by Vyasasan das

There is an ongoing debate over the changes to Srila Prabhupada’s books. The current BBTI want you to believe they are only changing the spelling and grammatical errors, and are simply improving the books. But there is much evidence to prove otherwise. For instance in the famous verse from the Caitanya-caritamrta Madhya-Lila 19.157: “The gardener must defend the creeper by fencing it all around so that the powerful elephant of offenses may not enter.” while reading the purport to this verse from the original 1975 Edition, I couldn’t help but appreciate just how clear Srila Prabhupada’s instructions were:

“If one thinks that there are many pseudo devotees or nondevotees in the Kṛṣṇa Consciousness Society, one can keep direct company with the spiritual master, and if there is any doubt, one should consult the spiritual master.” (from purport to Original 1975 Edition)

While discussing this statement with a friend, he informed me that the BBTI had changed the purport in their re-vised edition. I couldn’t understand why they would change such a clear statement…so I looked it up in the Bhaktivedanta VedaBase…and to my great surprise they did change it!!! So much for the spelling and grammatical errors argument, no they were changing the meaning of Srila Prabhupada’s books.

Lets take a look at this example, of how the books of His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanda Swami, are being changed by our so-called leaders and intellectuals. (Note the Bold Letters below is done by me to indicate the changes.)

Sri Caitanya-caritamrta (1975 Edition)

If one thinks that there are many pseudo devotees or nondevotees in the Kṛṣṇa Consciousness Society, one can keep direct company with the spiritual master, and if there is any doubt, one should consult the spiritual master. However, unless one follows the spiritual master’s instructions and the regulative principles governing chanting and hearing the holy name of the Lord, one cannot become a pure devotee. By one’s mental concoctions, one falls down. By associating with nondevotees, one breaks the regulative principles and is thereby lost.

Sri Caitanya-caritamrta (Bhaktivedanta VedaBase)

Even if one thinks that there are many pseudo devotees or nondevotees in the Kṛṣṇa Consciousness Society, still one should stick to the Society; if one thinks the Society’s members are not pure devotees, one can keep direct company with the spiritual master, and if there is any doubt, one should consult the spiritual master. However, unless one follows the spiritual master’s instructions concerning the regulative principles and chanting and hearing the holy name of the Lord, one cannot become a pure devotee. By one’s mental concoctions, one falls down. By associating with nondevotees, one breaks the regulative principles and is thereby lost.

The most important issue facing ISKCON today is the changing of Srila Prabhupada’s books. When will the devotees WAKE UP! Even the Academic World sees what is going on:

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The Appearance Day of Lord Caitanya

Posted on by under A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Caitanya Mahaprabhu, Sri Sri Siksastaka
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Today marks the Appearance day of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. We honor it with a full day fast until Moonrise, followed by a nice vegetarian feast. Todays post, in honor of the Lords appearance, are the eight verses Lord Caitanya left us, entitled Sri Sri Siksastaka.

Śrī Śrī Śikṣāṣṭaka
Eight Instructions
Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu

Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu instructed His disciples to write books on the science of Kṛṣṇa, a task which His followers have continued to carry out down to the present day. The elaborations and expositions on the philosophy taught by Lord Caitanya are, in fact, the most voluminous, exacting, and consistent, due to the system of disciplic succession. Although Lord Caitanya was widely renowned as a scholar in His youth, He left only eight verses, called Śikṣāṣṭaka. These eight verses clearly reveal His mission and precepts. These supremely valuable prayers are translated herein.

ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanaṁ bhava-mahā-dāvāgni-nirvāpaṇaṁ
śreyaḥ-kairava-candrikā-vitaraṇaṁ vidyā-vadhū-jīvanam
ānandāmbudhi-vardhanaṁ prati-padaṁ pūrṇāmṛtāsvādanaṁ
sarvātma-snapanaṁ paraṁ vijayate śrī-kṛṣṇa-saṇkīrtanam

1) Glory to the śrī-kṛṣṇa-saṅkīrtana, which cleanses the heart of all the dust accumulated for years and extinguishes the fire of conditional life, of repeated birth and death. This saṅkīrtana movement is the prime benediction for humanity at large because it spreads the rays of the benediction moon. It is the life of all transcendental knowledge. It increases the ocean of transcendental bliss, and it enables us to fully taste the nectar for which we are always anxious.

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Jaya Radha-Madhava; Further Explained

Posted on by under A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Songs of the Vaisnava Acarys
Radha

click on image to enlarge

This is a song that is sung daily, usually before Srimad Bhagavatam class, in all of the Hare Krishna Temples. It is a very beautiful song.

Srila Prabhupada said that this song is “a picture of Vrndavana.” Everything is there–Srimati Radharani, Vrndavana, Govardhana, Yasoda, and all the cowherd boys.

Jaya Rādhā-Mādhava
by Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura

jaya rādhā-mādhava kuñja-bihārī
gopī-jana-vallabha giri-vara-dhārī

jaya–all glories to: rādhā-mādhava–Rādhā and the Lord of sweetness; kuñja-bihārī–He who enjoys loving pastimes in the groves of Vṛndāvana; gopī-jana-vallabha–the lover of the cowherd maidens of Vraja; giri-vara-dhārī–the holder of the great hill named Govardhana;

Krsna is the lover of Radha. He displays many amorous pastimes in the groves of Vrndavana, He is the lover of the cowherd maidens of Vraja, and the holder of the great hill named Govardhana.

yaśodā-nandana braja-jana-rañjana
yāmuna-tīra-vana-cārī

yaśodā-nandana–the beloved son of mother Yaśodā; vraja-jana-rañjana–the delighter of the inhabitants of Vraja; yāmuna-tīra-vana-cārī–who wanders in the forests along the banks of the river Yamunā

He is the beloved son of mother Yasoda, the delighter of the inhabitants of Vraja, and He wanders in the forests along the banks of the River Yamuna!

Purport to Jaya Rādhā-Mādhava
New York, July 20, 1971

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“I Have Instructed Everything in My Books.”

Posted on by under A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Bhagavad-gita As It Is, Books by Srila Prabhupada, Krsna, the Reservior of Pleasure, Srila Prabhupada, Srimad Bhagavatam

Srila Prabhupada wrote and published over 80 volumes of spiritual literature which he considered to be his most important contribution. Despite the heavy demands of establishing and managing a worldwide movement, Srila Prabhupada never failed to rise early in the morning to perform his beloved writing work. He applied great devotion and care in translating the ancient Vedic literatures into English from the original Sanskrit and Bengali languages. He would then dictate his famous “Bhaktivedanta Purports,” further explaining the meaning of each verse and its relevance to the modern age. Prabhupada’s books are highly acclaimed by scholars and students alike (see reviews below). They have been translated into more than 60 languages and have been sold in the hundreds of millions. The PrabhupadaConnection encourages everyone to take advantage of these timeless literatures which are full of spiritual knowledge and potency.
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Books by
His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
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Bhagavad-gita As It Is
Srimad-Bhagavatam, cantos 1-10, (29 vols.)
Sri Caitanya-caritamrta (17 vols.)
Teachings of Lord Caitanya
The Nectar of Devotion
Sri Isopanisad
Easy Journey to Other Planets
Krsna Consciousness: The Topmost Yoga System
Krsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead (3 vols.)
Perfect Questions, Perfect Answers
Dialectical Spiritualism—A Vedic View of Western Philosophy
Teachings of Lord Kapila, the Son of Devahuti
Transcendental Teachings of Prahlad Maharaja
Teachings of Queen Kunti
Krsna, the Reservoir of Pleasure
The Science of Self-Realization
The Path of Perfection
Life Comes From Life
The Perfection of Yoga
Beyond Birth and Death
On the Way to Krsna
Raja-vidya: The King of Knowledge
Elevation to Krsna Consciousness
Krsna Consciousness: The Matchless Gift
Back to Godhead magazine (founder)
Scholars Review Srila Prabhupada’s Books

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Disappearance Day of Srila Prabhupada

Posted on by under A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Disappearance Day of Srila Prabhupada

Dear Srila Prabhupada

Please accept my humble obeisances, and kindly forgive my offences.

I offer my most humble and heartfelt obeisance’s on this most auspicious day of your disappearance. As Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakur has reminded us:

He reasons ill who says that Vaiṣṇavas die,
When thou art living still in sound!
The Vaiṣṇavas die to live, and living try
To spread the holy name around.

For me there is no difference between your appearance day and your disappearance day, for you are very much alive, in the hearts of you disciples. You live on, in your words and instructions.

Recently we visited Buttler PA, where you first preached the mission of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, and we witnessed your humble introduction to America.

Thank you for coming to this world to save us in spite of the tremendous difficulties and obstacles which you had to face alone, depending solely on the mercy of the Supreme Lord Krishna and your eternal spiritual master, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura.

Thank you for coming to America, and bringing with you so many matchless gifts.  Not only did you bring the message of Krishna and Lord Caitanya, but you brought with you music and art, Vedic medicine, the science of cooking vegetarian food, and the keys to a healthy and productive life, in the service of God.  I may never have learned who is God, had you not appeared on our shores. 

  Although I am an unworthy disciple, full of faults, I approach you with the greatest appreciation, and utmost respect, for you are the greatest spiritual ambassador to spread Krishna Consciousness all over the world. 

I don’t have the words to properly glorify you, so instead, in closing, I want to quote from you, in your closing address to your Spiritual master Srila Bhaktisiddhanta, given in homage in 1936:

Personally, I have no hope for any direct service for the coming crores of births of the sojourn of my life, but I am confident that some day or other I shall be delivered from this mire of delusion in which I am at present so deeply sunk. Therefore let me with all my earnestness pray at the lotus feet of my divine master to allow me to suffer the lot for which I am destined due to my past misdoings, but to let me have this power of recollection: that I am nothing but a tiny servant of the Almighty Absolute Godhead, realized through the unflinching mercy of my divine master. Let me therefore bow down at his lotus feet with all the humility at my command. -Abhay Charan Das 1936

Friendly Relationship with the Lord (Dāsya)

Posted on by under A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Bhagavad-gita As It Is, Bhakti Yoga, Krishna Consciousness
O Krsna O Yadava

There are five basic relationships a devotee might have with the Lord; namely in the neutral stage (sānta-rasa), which is the stage of awe and reverence. Knowing that God is Great. Then there are four transcendental mellows (rasas); servitude (dāsya), friendship (sakhya), parental affection (vātsalya) and conjugal love (śṛṅgāra).

Kṛṣṇa and Arjuna are related in friendship.

Arjuna was in a relationship with the Lord as friend. Of course there is a gulf of difference between this friendship and the friendship found in the material world. This is transcendental friendship which cannot be had by everyone. Of course everyone has a particular relationship with the Lord, and that relationship is evoked by the perfection of devotional service. But in the present status of our life, we have not only forgotten the Supreme Lord, but we have forgotten our eternal relationship with the Lord. Every living being, out of many, many billions and trillions of living beings, has a particular relationship with the Lord eternally. That is called svarūpa. By the process of devotional service, one can revive that svarūpa, and that stage is called svarūpa-siddhi-perfection of one’s constitutional position. So Arjuna was a devotee, and he was in touch with the Supreme Lord in friendship. (from Introduction to Bhagavad-gita As It Is)

The following verse is one of my most favorite from the Bhagavad-gita As It Is.

I have in the past addressed You as “O Kṛṣṇa,” “O Yādava,” “O my friend,” without knowing Your glories. Please forgive whatever I may have done in madness or in love. I have dishonored You many times while relaxing or while lying on the same bed or eating together, sometimes alone and sometimes in front of many friends. Please excuse me for all my offenses.

I find this verse to be a beautiful expression of what is Bhakti Yoga. It is a personal loving exchange with the Lord. There are two ways to approach the Lord. One can approach the Lord with awe and reverence (sānta-rasa), or with a more personal approach; love and affection.

Kṛṣṇa’s devotees relate to Kṛṣṇa in various relationships.. Kṛṣṇa and Arjuna are related in friendship. As the father tolerates, or the husband or master tolerates, so Kṛṣṇa tolerates. Very Beautiful!

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Texts 40-45

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The Appearance Day of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu

Posted on by under A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Caitanya Mahaprabhu, Gaura Purnima, ISKCON, Pancha Tattva, Uncategorized

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We are in Mayapura Dham, at the Sri Sri Radha Madhava Temple, to celebrate the Appearance Day of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. We honor His appearance with a full day fast (until moon rise), followed by a special vegetarian feast. Also to honor the Lord’s appearance day, we have selected these two verses from the Sri Caitanya-caritmrta.

“O most munificent incarnation! You are Kṛṣṇa Himself appearing as Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Mahāprabhu. You have assumed the golden color of Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī, and You are widely distributing pure love of Kṛṣṇa. We offer our respectful obeisances unto You.

“We offer our respectful obeisances unto that merciful Supreme Personality of Godhead who has converted all three worlds, which were maddened by ignorance, and saved them from their diseased condition by making them mad with the nectar from the treasure-house of love of God. Let us take full shelter of that Personality of Godhead, Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya, whose activities are wonderful.”

Full text and Bengali

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Jagad Guru

Posted on by under A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Jagad Guru

For the first time in the history of planet Earth!

At the Maha Kumbha Mela, where 400 million sages and pilgrims gathered, for the first time in history, the title of “Vishwa Guru” (universal guru) was conferred on His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. No spiritual leader has ever been officially awarded this title.

Srila Prabhupada, the founder of ISKCON, went to the West in 1965, at the age of almost 70, to spread the message of sanatana dharma. Today its mission embraces the whole world and ISKCON has more than 450 temples.

As they said during the ceremony, “Offering a title to Prabhupada is like offering a lamp to the sun.” This event marks the consolidation of the Golden Age foretold in the Vedic scriptures.

I would like to clarify that the title Jagad Guru, Guru of the Universe, was sometime conferred to one’s own Guru by his disciples in the past but this time this title has been conferred officially because it is recognized by all the various groups of religious world in India, every sampradaya and institution.